Submitted: The Two Sides Team January 16, 2020

Two Sides North America has released three new fact sheets addressing key environmental topics related to paper and print.  Download them by clicking the links below.

Paper Recovery and Recycling (click to download)

Paper recycling not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, it also extends the supply of wood fiber, saves landfill space and often decreases the amount of energy needed to produce new products.  Some highlights include: 

• The recovery rate for paper and paper-based products in the United States is 68.1%. In Canada, nearly 70% of all paper and cardboard are recycled. This recovery percentage puts Canada among the top recycling countries in the world.
• Recovered fibers are used by almost 80% of all U.S. paper mills. This fiber is used to make paper-based packaging, tissue products, office paper, and more.

Paper Production and Sustainable Forestry (click to download)

 Sustainably managed forests in North America are a continuously replenished, renewable resource.  For example:

• U.S. forests expanded from 1987 to 2012 and remained stable over the next five years.
• Half of the total global certified forests are in North America. Third-party certification programs such as FSC, SFI and CSA ensure that forest management is economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially just.

Environmental Facts About the Canadian Paper Industry (click to download)

This fact sheet outlines key facts related to Canada, such as the state of the forest, forest management and certification, recycling, environmental performance and goals.  Some highlights include:

• Canada is home to 9% of the world’s forests, almost 4 billion hectares, behind only Russia (20%) and Brazil (12%) in forest area. About 90% of Canada’s forest land is publicly owned and provincial and territorial governments regulate forest harvesting to ensure sustainability over the long term. Canadian law requires that all forests harvested on public land must be regenerated.
• The area deforested in Canada in 2016 was 37,000 ha (0.01% of forested land in Canada) and this rate is expected to be stable over the near term. Conversion of forests to agricultural land is the major cause of deforestation, followed by mining, oil and gas exploration, hydroelectric development and urban expansion.
• Investment in new technologies is making forest industry operations more efficient. By generating bioenergy from waste products and increasing energy efficiency, Canada’s forest industry cut its total energy use by 31% and reduced its GHG emissions by 49% between 2005 and 2015.

“Our 2019 North American consumer survey shows that there is a need for more public education on the topic of sustainable forest management, the real causes of deforestation and the great recycling story of print and paper.  Once people understand the unique sustainable features of paper-based products, such as the high rate of recycling and the renewable aspect and benefits of well-managed forests – their views of forest products become much more positive,” states Phil Riebel, President of Two Sides North America.

All Two Sides North America fact sheets can be downloaded here and are available for co-branding by Two Sides members.

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